waz Sharif orders probe into Indian leads

PATHANKOT TERROR ATTACK

Islamabad, Jan 8: Prime Minister waz Sharif has asked the Intelligence Bureau to probe the leads provided by India on the alleged Pakistani links to the terror attack in Pathankot, a report said on Friday.

Sharif gave the directive to the Intelligence Bureau after chairing a high-level meeting here on Thursday, The tion newspaper reported.

Among those who attended the meeting were Fince Minister Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs Tariq Fatemi, tiol Security Adviser (NSA) sser Khan Janjua, Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry and Intelligence Bureau chief Aftab Sultan.

"Officials said the prime minister and the aides agreed to launch investigations into the evidence provided by India," the report said.

Hours earlier, India linked the upcoming foreign secretary-level talks with Pakistan to Islamabad's action against suspected Pakistani terrorists who raided the Indian Air Force base in Pathankot on January 2.

The pre-dawn attack left seven Indian security personnel dead. Security forces killed all six attackers.

Sharif and his Indian counterpart rendra Modi spoke on the telephone after the terror attack. India said it had provided "actioble" inputs to Pakistan, and Sharif assured Modi of "prompt and decisive" action against groups and individuals who might be linked to the attack.

The tion quoted an official as saying that the leads provided by India were handed over to IB chief Aftab Sultan for further action.

Addressing the meeting, Sharif said Pakistan was ready to boost cooperation with India as part of counter-terrorism efforts.

Sharif also directed NSA sser Khan Janjua to remain in contact with his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval in a bid to keep renewed dialogue on track.

Another official, however, said the information provided by India was "not enough" as it was just limited to telephone numbers. He said Pakistan might ask for additiol information.

"We would like to have solid information to build a case for action. Otherwise courts intervene and the suspects will be bailed out," he added.

Now, Punjab SP faces bigamy charge

Chandigarh, Jan 8: The Punjab Police on Friday ordered a probe into the bigamy charge against its superintendent of police Salwinder Singh, who has been questioned by the NIA over his alleged abduction by terrorists who later attacked the Pathankot air force base. The Punjab DGP marked the probe to Hoshiarpur Senior Superintendent of Police Dhanpreet Kaur after Karanpreet Kaur of Tanda Urmur in Punjab claimed she was married to Salwinder Singh in April 1994 when he was posted as an assistant sub-inspector in Amritsar. "A fact-finding enquiry has been instituted by the DGP, Punjab, on the news reports regarding statement of a Tanda-based woman who has levelled accusations of bigamy against SP Salwinder Singh," a Punjab Police spokesman said here.
The SSP has been asked to submit a report at the earliest, the spokesman said.
tiol Investigation Agency officials are already questioning Salwinder Singh since Tuesday evening over his claims that he was abducted by suspected Pakistani terrorists who later attacked the Indian Air Force base in Pathankot, 250 km from here, in a pre-dawn attack on January 2.
The NIA team took the police officer on Wednesday to various spots to reconstruct the sequence of events before the terror attack.
His jeweller friend Rajesh Verma and cook Madan Gopal are also being questioned.
The SP is being questioned as a suspect due to inconsistencies in his version of his alleged abduction and the statements of his two companions, a police source said.
Seven security personnel, including an officer of the tiol Security Guard, were killed in the Pathankot attack. All six terrorists involved in the incident were also killed.